Many students cheered at their ranks, while others cursed and regretted not preparing enough.
"Alright, settle down, everyone. You still have plenty of opportunities in the future, and I have more news to share with all of you," the homeroom teacher said, soothing the atmosphere.
"Can you guys guess who's in first place?" the teacher asked, adopting a teaching tone.
As soon as these words were spoken, all students turned their heads toward Sam, blaming him for their ranking.
Sam, understanding the situation, coughed and pretended to be engrossed in something, trying to hide his embarrassment.
Su Yanran and Wang Feng, who witnessed the scene, chuckled and exchanged knowing smiles.
"Okay, it seems you all already know. So, focus more on your studies, especially those heading to Section B. You have plenty of opportunities in business, education, and other fields," the homeroom teacher encouraged the students.
"Yeah, I should concentrate more on academics since my talent grade is F."
"I'm thinking the same."
Many students, who had seemed disheartened earlier, now appeared revitalized.
"They don't yet realize the harshness of the real world. Time will fill in all the gaps in their understanding," Sam thought, reflecting on his memories from his past life.
"Alright, everyone, settle down. Students ranked below 50, please move to Section B, while the rest will move to Section A," the homeroom teacher announced and began organizing everyone accordingly.
As I was heading toward Section A, my steps faltered when I heard someone call my name.
"Sam, the Principal wants to see you in the office," the homeroom teacher informed me.
"Okay, sir," I replied, heading toward the principal's office, pondering which reward I should choose.
…
Principal's Office
A middle-aged man sat majestically, yet his face and body showed no signs of aging, as if time had no effect on him.
He elegantly checked some documents, murmuring, "Oh! He has a perfect score in everything," while going through one of the papers.
*Knock*.
A sound echoed from the office gate.
"Come in," the principal replied calmly.
As soon as Sam entered, he was startled by the sudden prompts from the 'World System,' but he quickly recomposed himself and said, "Sir, the homeroom teacher said that you called me."
Sam's focus remained on the mysterious prompts.
"Yes, I called you," the principal confirmed.
"You should already know that you came first in the novice dungeon, and you cleared it in only 6 hours instead of 12 hours, breaking a 20-year record," the principal calmly stated.
"Yes, sir, I know," Sam replied composedly.
"What rewards do you want? As long as your request doesn't violate the rules," the principal inquired with seriousness.
"What!" Sam momentarily lost his composure but swiftly regained control, asking, "Sir, I didn't understand. I recall that the previous student who broke the record didn't get a choice for any reward."
"Oh! It seems that you still haven't read our school's history," the principal teased.
Embarrassed on the surface, Sam's heart raced with anticipation after hearing the prompt and delaying the response.
The principal keenly noticed his reaction, but he continued, "It has become a tradition that any student breaking the record time of the novice dungeon clearance will receive rewards. However, in the past, the record time was 10 hours."
"As for your reward, you should understand that your novice dungeon clearance time is significantly lower compared to the previous one. That's why I've decided to give you the chance to choose any reward or request, as long as it doesn't violate the rules," the principal explained.
"Oh! I cleared it in only 6 hours, which is ahead of the previous record by 4 hours," Sam pretended to be surprised by his clearance record and quickly concealed his apprehension.
"Okay, what do you want?" the principal inquired seriously.
Pretending to think for a moment, Sam grinned inwardly at his luck and calmly replied, "Sir, I want to meet a high-ranking player whose profession is related to appraising."
"What!" The principal momentarily lost his composure due to the absurd request but quickly composed himself, saying, "You should already know that there is no high-ranking player with the profession of 'Appraisal' in Province Xth. His time is too precious, even the Federation respects him with two points of respect."
"I know, sir, and that's precisely why I'm using this request," Sam said, knowing his request might still be seen as a bit absurd, but it held immense importance to him.
"You really put me in a tricky situation," the principal sighed, and after a brief pause, he continued, "Okay, I will somehow arrange a meeting with him."
"Thank you, sir," Sam replied gratefully, well aware of how difficult it would be for him to meet the high-ranking player.
"Okay, for now, go to the classroom," the principal instructed.
"Alright, sir," Sam replied, leaving the principal's office.
As soon as Sam exited, the principal licked his lips, amused by the intriguing young student.
Sam's mind was filled with thoughts of all the prompts he received, making it both a bewildering and exhilarating day.
Reaching the classroom gate, Sam asked, "May I come in, sir?"
"Come in," the class teacher said, and Sam entered Class Xth, Section A, and took his seat.
Wang Feng, curious about the reward, asked, "What did you choose as your reward?"
"I requested to meet a high-ranking player," Sam replied calmly, knowing that Wang Feng would soon find out the specifics.
"What!" Wang Feng exclaimed, "Boss, I don't know why you asked for that kind of reward, but I sense you are up to something. Am I right?"
Sam put on a surprised facial expression and teased Wang Feng for being observant.
"F*ck you, Boss!" Wang Feng cursed playfully, knowing Sam was just messing with him.
Time passed with theoretical and practical training, and Sam delved further into the potentials unlocked by the 'World System.'
Later, in his villa, Sam finished his lunch and went about conversing with the household members, such as Butler, Zhu Zhen, and others, before retiring to his room to rest.